Mary Francis says: Give new DPP adequate staff

Outspoken Attorney at Law, Mary Francis, while welcoming the appointment of new Director of Public Prosecutions, Daasrean Greene, has appealed to the government to provide the DPP’s office with adequate staff.

“He needs to have sufficient staff which will allow him to tackle those matters which have been delayed for so long,” Francis told the Times.

The Coordinator of the National Centre for Legal Aid and Human Rights indicated that with adequate staff, “real work” can be done by the DPP’s office in terms of ensuring justice, especially for family members of the victims of Operation Restore Confidence (ORC).

Francis said she believes it is time to bring closure to the matter.

The United Workers Party (UWP) while in opposition had promised to establish a tribunal to deal with the issue of alleged extra-judicial killings by police officers under ORC.

In announcing plans for the tribunal, the UWP had said that it would review what had transpired and recommend a way forward.

“In terms of waiting for the tribunal which the government spoke about, I think the DPP’s office has the file so why should they delay further?” Mary Francis told the Times.

She expressed the view that the lawyers in the DPP’s office should go through the file and the evidence to see how possible prosecutions can begin in the ORC matter.

“Family members are waiting,” the Human Rights Advocate declared.

Francis told the Times that she was very disappointed that the matter has taken so long.

“A football was made of the IMPACS report and now we have to wait for a tribunal again? I think the shortest route is the DPP’s office – let us see how we can move with that file and at least bring closure to that matter,” she said.